Automated analytical instruments are widely used to run a variety of tests on numerous different samples. For example, medical care often requires that blood and other biological samples be tested for a variety of reasons, such as to determine whether or not certain materials are present in the samples. Such instruments may be advantageously used to reduce labor costs and provide reliable, repeatable, test results, with many instruments operating continuously in a random access fashion in order to handle a variety of samples at the same time.
Of course, it will be appreciated that a large number of different tests and testing procedures may be performed to obtain many different types of information. For example, a doctor faced with one set of symptoms may be looking to see one thing to possibly confirm one diagnosis, while another set of symptoms may require looking for a completely different diagnosis. Therefore, it is often not possible, or it is prohibitively expensive, for a laboratory to have a single instrument with the capability to perform all possible tests. Moreover, because various tests may be performed more frequently than others, and because certain tests may consume more time than others, it is often most efficient for a laboratory to have a plurality of different instruments for selected types of tests.
In many instances, however, a single sample or group of samples may require a plurality of tests which may require the use of more than one instrument. In those instances, the samples will typically be manually transferred from one instrument to another instrument. In those instances in which the instruments have different configurations, however, the manual transfer of a plurality of sample containers from one instrument to another instrument can require extensive handling of the containers on account of the need to individually transfer each container from one instrument to another instrument. For example, linear container racks for a plurality of sample containers can easily be transferred from one instrument that uses linear container racks to another instrument that also uses linear container racks by allowing entire racks to be transferred with their associated sample containers. However, when the latter instrument to be used for subsequent testing has arcuate-shaped racks, such as, for example, an instrument having a circular-shaped element for holding sample containers, e.g., a carousel, it has been necessary for operators to manually remove each sample container from the linear container racks and move the sample containers one by one to an arcuate-shaped rack for the circular-shaped element of the other instrument. The same problem arises when running of tests in an instrument having linear container racks follows running of tests in an instrument having arcuate-shaped racks.
Handling of sample containers individually can be expensive not only because of the labor costs involved, but also because of inefficient use of the expensive instruments, which instruments may be forced to sit idle while awaiting the sample containers to be transferred. Further, handling of sample containers always involves a risk of error and/or accidents, and consequently, additional handling of sample containers not only increases that risk but also increases the risk of potential contamination or other damage to the samples, which could lead to erroneous test results. Of course, additional handling of the samples by the operator also increases the risk to the operator when the samples are potentially hazardous.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.